January 28, 2025

We invite all to participate in the upcoming VAUMC Climate Summit: Hope in Action for Creation Justice on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, at Randolph-Macon College. 

As I sit in the warmth of my home, reflecting on the past year and the work God calls us to in the coming year, I am deeply troubled by the devastation to California and North Carolina driven by climate change-induced extreme weather events. These disasters have upended human and creature lives and are stark reminders of the urgent need to address the brokenness in our relationships and creation due to climate change. The increasing frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events underscore the pressing need for us to build resilient communities and sanctuaries that provide safe havens and places to recover for the most vulnerable and to be advocates for climate justice . 

In the face of these challenges, I believe God calls us to be partners in the work of creation care, justice, and regeneration and to be a hope for creation . The Virginia United Methodist Church (VAUMC) is not just a bystander in this global crisis but a beacon of hope. We uniquely embody this hope by partnering with frontline climate justice advocates, forming collaborations, and taking meaningful actions to build resilient communities. Our actions through creation care and climate justice  advocacy in your community or congregation are crucial in ensuring a hopeful future for all people and creation. 

One practical way to begin is through establishing Climate Resilience Hubs in your community. These hubs are community-based centers that provide resources and support for climate disaster preparedness and recovery. By developing such hubs in our communities—and supporting their creation elsewhere—we can respond proactively to the increasing unpredictability and intensity of weather-related events. Recent disasters like the California wildfires, Hurricane Helene, and extreme winter cold temperatures highlight the urgent need for such initiatives. According to the California Interfaith Power and Light, a faith-based resilience hub is a house of worship that equips congregants and neighbors to prepare for and recover from climate disasters. This concept aligns with the United Methodist Church’s historical commitment to disaster response, recovery, and creation care. 

The UMC’s disaster response and recovery expertise provides many tools and experience to make this vision of addressing climate disasters a reality. To that end, we can incorporate educational materials on climate disasters and the purpose of Climate Resilience Hubs into the existing UMCOR and Annual Conference Disaster Response programs. This information will help prepare our local churches, teams, and volunteers to address climate disasters in ongoing disaster response and recovery programs. Through this preparation, we can also advocate for a climate-just future, prioritizing the needs of those most affected by climate change. 

We can partner with God and be the Hope for Creation by taking action for climate justice  through creation care and advocacy. We can contribute to creation care by making our congregations more energy efficient, assessing our energy usage, and finding more efficient renewable sources. Next, we can collaborate to grow healthy communities and advance climate justice. Many critical climate justice issues face Virginia communities, such as fossil fuel pollution and development that disproportionately harms the health of low-income families and people of color and access to clean, affordable, and efficient energy. Our actions for climate justice, when combined, can make a difference.

Support justice today by backing Climate Resilience Hubs to address climate disasters, becoming Climate Just congregations, and advocating for vulnerable communities. We hope to see you on March 8th at the VAUMC Climate Summit: Hope in Action for Creation Justice to learn more about these issues featuring frontline leaders sharing insights and actions for an equitable future. 

For more information, please visit: 

Work Cited

“Resilience Hubs,” California Interfaith Power and Light, https://www.interfaithpower.org/resilience-hubs. Accessed 28 January 2025.

“Energy Justice Virginia.” Chesapeake Climate Action Fund, https://ccanactionfund.org/media/FACTSHEET_-Virginias-Energy-Burden-V2.-100.pdf. Accessed 28 January 2025.


Brian Christoffersen
Chair Creation Justice Team
VAUMC Board of Church and Society
https://vaumc.org/creationjustice/

 

 

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.
Translate »